Me? Cynical? http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/0327062extreme1.html Makeover show loves sick kids, cancer patients, hate crime victims MARCH 27--Not content with humdrum stories of poverty, heartache, and distress, the producers of "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" have compiled a creepy wish list of woe for the next season of the hit ABC television series, The Smoking Gun has learned. In an e-mail forwarded earlier this month by an ABC executive to network affiliates, the program's casting agent details the exact kind of tragedies and rare illnesses being sought by the Top 20 show. Families featured on the program have their often ramshackle homes renovated for free by a platoon headed by handyman/heartthrob Ty Pennington. The show is maudlin, tug-on-your-heartstrings television, "Queen for a Day" with finish carpentry. Based on the ABC e-mail, it appears that victims of hate crimes and violent home invasions and families coping with the loss of a child killed by a drunk driver make for good television. And the show would also absolutely love to feature those battling skin cancer, Lou Gehrig's disease, and muscular dystrophy. Oh, and families with multiple children with Down Syndrome would be ideal, whether the kids are "either adopted or biological," the e-mail notes. And, shooting the moon, the program's "family casting director," Charisse Simonian, would love to locate a kid suffering from Progeria, the rare condition that causes rapid aging in a child (for those unaware of Progeria, the ABC e-mail helpfully describes it as "aka 'little old man disease.'") As if that terrible affliction weren't enough, Simonian is also on the hunt for a child with congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis. "This is where kids cannot feel any physical pain," she notes. But the hunt for a young victim--who will likely die before 30--will not be easy. "There are 17 known cases in US," she writes, before chirpily adding, "let me know if one is in your town!" Such spirit in the face of tragedy. The March 10 correspondence was written by Phinel Petit-Frere, a network executive based in New York, who passed along the makeover show's wish list to network affiliates in the Southeast. The affiliates were requested to help in locating prospective families for the series, which finished eighth in last week's Nielsen ratings. When contacted by TSG, Petit-Frere said he only forwarded the memo on Simonian's behalf and directed other questions her way. (1 page)
Why is it so terrible that they are trying to help people? Why not help the ones that need it the most?
I love this one: Tell me you read it, MB, and agree that this a good way to "lure" stories... I will be "terribly" confused... did you see the part about "and a little help with their home"? They need to change the name of the show, though... it's not "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" anymore...
A casting director for a major network uses a hotmail address? I hear some of Ty's "special projects" involve installing hidden cameras in teenage girls' bedrooms.
Who cares what the smokinggun.com has to say. Did you read the email? What was it's tone? Of course ABC is making money off of the show, it wouldn't be on the air if it was not. Does ABC not have the right to try and create a show that is diverse and speaks on lots of topics? How long do you think the show would stay on the air if every episode was about a kid with cancer? It would get old. How is ABC supposed to let the public know what kind of topics they are looking for? How else are they supposed to learn of these stories that they want to cover? I think that there are much worse things to worry about than a show that builds a house for a family in need for free, plus send them on a much needed vacation, rally the town that they are in together, do something positive in society, and on top of that educate the viewers on something that they probably do not know much about. What is the point in trying to tear something down that is doing something good even if it does make ABC money? At least in the end it is helping a family that desperately needs it.
ABC is a television station, not a charity/not-for-profit company. Seriously, anyone who's ever watched this show realizes that they target those types of families. Big deal.
Those types of shows don't belong in prime time, MB. I'd say there are already plenty of those Povich'ish shows during the times both you and I would be taking a "sick day" off... but... ok... I don't watch this show, by the way.
I agree I generally don't care about the means The Ends are justified If helping these families gives they great ratings and those great ratings leads to them helping more families I have no issue with it Rocket River
Most of this is true... except for the part you missed... who's getting rich here...? certainly not the families who get the help... or the families waiting in line... [cue the picture of the ABC and DISNEY Execs. waving $100 bills around]
how about getting thousands upon thousands of dollars worth of renovations, a lot of time to accomodate medical problems? if ABC wasn't making money off this program, then these families wouldn't be getting any help at all. like someone mentioed earlier, ABC isn't a non-profit organization - they're in the business of making money. so why is it frowned upon that they do so while helping families that desperately need it?
The point isn't whether the show does good or not, the disgusting thing is the cavalier attitude that the emailer takes towards other human beings' suffering. The exclamation points, descriptions of "little old man's disease" and numerous other pieces of rhetoric demonstrate a fundamental lack of true ethical concern on the part of the emailer. If you don't find it disturbing that someone can lightheartedly view real pain and suffering as nothing more than a great story line, then I don't know what else I can say...
And in other news... the sky is blue! This is the largest case of "Hello Captain Obvious!" I have ever seen. Who cares if they are looking for people in need, that is what the freaking show is about! If they make money off of it they have a right to do so, but they are also helping people in need... people who cry thanking them each and every week. This isn't a show on TLC that does a shoddy job, this is a show that goes above and beyond remodeling a home... they even help pay off mortgages, give them automobiles and cash and the like... ffs, what kind of world do we live in when people complain about shows that do GOOD! Look at all the other reality TV trash and you want to point fingers at this one? Give me a break. This show has overwhelming success for the fact taht it started off small (they really did just remodel homes in the beginning), now most of the time they tear down a home and build a new one BECAUSE of their success. The more they are successful the more they can help people... if you think that is wrong then I pity you.
Ahhhh... your answer is refreshing, Bullard... I always said "3 points!" every time you let the basket go in the air... you didn't disappoint me NOW... thank you.
Obviously. Its ridiculous to compare the show to Maury Povich. When Extreme Makeover came to Houston, we were able to help on site. Its an amazing experience and you wouldn't believe what an awesome feeling it is to help people that really do need it. Its also unbelievable to see how the community can come together and help each other. You get to meet the family members and friends and the whole time they are there they are passing out drinks and telling stories and thanking you repeatedly. You can see how much it means to them. Honestly, we never really got to do a whole lot but we helped when we could and it was incredible just to be apart of it. I'm sure the show does really well for ABC and I hope it does because it really does make help people and not just the family that gets the house. I know there are others that volunteer their time and do things for other people. Well this show is a vehicle for more people to do just that. How can you knock it? If anyone wants more details on what they did here in our own town, check out the thread I did about it back in January. Here are some pics of when we were there.
